COMMANDOS is a DOS-based real-time tactics strategy game that places the player in command of a small squad of elite Allied operatives during World War II. The game arrived during a period when DOS gaming was reaching its twilight years, with Windows 95 and DirectX titles beginning to dominate the market, yet DOS remained a viable platform for complex, CPU-intensive strategy titles that demanded precise resource management and careful planning. Prior to COMMANDOS, the real-time tactics genre was relatively sparse — players accustomed to the era were more familiar with broad real-time strategy titles involving base-building and resource gathering. COMMANDOS stripped away those conventions entirely, offering instead a tightly focused, mission-based experience where the player controls a handful of specialists rather than armies.
Each mission presents a self-contained map populated by enemy soldiers with defined patrol routes and cone-shaped fields of vision. The player must navigate their squad — each member possessing a unique skill set — through these environments to accomplish objectives such as sabotage, rescue, or assassination, all without triggering a general alarm. The Green Beret excels in close-quarters combat and can distract enemies; the Sniper provides long-range elimination; the Marine handles underwater infiltration; the Sapper manages explosives and traps; the Driver operates vehicles; and the Spy can don enemy uniforms to move through guarded areas. Mastery of the game comes from understanding how these abilities combine: using the Spy to lure a guard into position, then having the Green Beret silently eliminate him, then using the Sapper to clear a minefield for the rest of the squad.
Controls are handled through a point-and-click interface. Left-clicking selects individual commandos or groups, while right-clicking issues context-sensitive orders depending on what object or terrain tile is targeted. Players can also peek around corners, crawl to reduce visibility, and time movements to slip between patrol cycles. The interface, while functional, carries a learning curve — new players often struggle to distinguish between the many available action icons and to read enemy sight lines accurately from the isometric perspective.
Level structure is non-linear in approach but linear in sequence: missions unlock one after another, each escalating in complexity and enemy density. Early missions serve as extended tutorials, introducing mechanics gradually, while later stages demand near-perfect coordination and multiple restarts to solve. The game does not hold the player's hand with waypoints or objective markers beyond a mission briefing screen, placing the burden of reconnaissance and planning squarely on the player.
In its era, COMMANDOS earned a reputation as a demanding, cerebral experience that rewarded patience and lateral thinking. The isometric hand-drawn environments were praised for their detail and atmosphere, effectively evoking a war-torn European landscape. The game's difficulty was a frequent topic of discussion among players, with many missions requiring dozens of attempts before the correct sequence of actions clicked into place. This steep challenge curve was seen by its audience as a mark of depth rather than a flaw, and the game cultivated a dedicated following among strategy enthusiasts who appreciated its puzzle-like mission design.
